


The Place You Need to Reach

by Kalcifer



Category: The Librarians (TV 2014)
Genre: (by several hundred years), Backstory, Captivity, Gen, Misses Clause Challenge, Pre-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-15
Updated: 2016-12-15
Packaged: 2018-09-08 17:18:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8854033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kalcifer/pseuds/Kalcifer
Summary: Agnella has been summoned to a mysterious Library, and while she appreciates the reprieve from the confines of her old life, she can't help but wonder about a mysterious door that apparently houses a demon. He's a remarkably affable fellow, as it turns out.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [the_rck](https://archiveofourown.org/users/the_rck/gifts).



> I'd never really considered Jenkins' backstory before, so this prompt was a lot of fun for me! The plot draws very loosely from some of your Crueltide suggestions, but the overall tone is too light-hearted to really count, I think. Regardless, I hope you enjoy!

Agnella didn’t really know what she was doing here. When she’d first gotten the letter, she’d thought it was someone’s idea of a joke. Convince the improper younger daughter that she could escape to someplace she’d be wanted, then remind her of her place. The fanciful urban ideas of individual significance had no place in daily life, after all. Let her think too much about them, and the next thing you knew, she might think she had a say in deciding her future.

As it was, the closest thing she’d had to control was the ability to convince her parents to let her join a convent instead of getting married, and even that seemed unlikely. In comparison, the letter seemed to offer freedom, so she was willing to take her chances and follow its instructions.

She’d snuck out of her room and waited at the gate at the appointed time. The carriage had appeared, as promised, and against her better judgment she’d gotten in. She’d never ridden in one before, but she was unable to appreciate the experience. Instead, she spent the whole ride wavering between firm defiance and anxious jittering. If the letter was real, had just sent her life down a strange new path. If not, she was probably going to be kidnapped and sold. The fact that she still couldn’t tell which was more likely was worrying.

The ride itself was gentle and mercifully short. When they stopped, she got out in front of a building that looked much like her family’s palazzo. No one had attempted to restrain her, though, so she took a deep breath and walked in.

As soon as she saw the inside of the building, she was instantly convinced of the letter’s veracity. She hadn’t known that that many books existed in the world, much less in one place. Anyone who could afford this many books would have no need to abduct and sell girls.

Her gaping was interrupted by a woman who looked to be about forty-five. Her clothing was just fine enough to suggest wealth while making it clear that she was not of high rank; Agnella would guess her husband was some form of merchant. “Greetings,” she said, smiling sympathetically. “I take it you’re the new clerk?”

Agnella nodded, unable to tear her eyes from the rows upon rows of shelves. Could they all be full of books?

“I understand,” the woman said. “It’s a lot to take in, at first. But you’re safe here, and you will have free access to the collection, as long as you don’t get in the way of anyone important. I recommend you avoid the Librarian entirely, given the chance.” She waved a hand dismissively. “But we can worry about that later. I believe introductions are in order.”

She swept into a brief curtsy. “I’m Giovanna da Enpoli. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Agnella.” She straightened. “Would you like a tour?”

Agnella was hardly going to pass up a chance to see these wonders up close. “Please,” she said.

“Then follow me,” Giovanna said.

The more Agnella saw of the Library, the more awed she became. Not only did the shelves extend for rooms upon rooms, more than could possibly be filled, it was also apparently home to a collection of magical artifacts. She was rather wary of them at first, but Giovanna promised that the Library regularly invited a cardinal to come and bless them and that they were not used in the name of evil.

She was beginning to relax when they passed a closed door which was lined with salt and emblazoned with a five-pointed star. Giovanna seemed content to walk past without acknowledging it, but Agnella had not been chosen for her lack of curiosity. “What’s behind this door?” she asked.

Giovanna stopped walking. She looked into Agnella’s eyes, gaze steely. “A demon.”

Agnella recoiled. “In truth?”

“When it was found by the Librarian, it claimed to be one of the knights of Arthur.” Giovanna snorted in a distinctly unladylike fashion. “He even profaned the name of the Holy Grail, claiming to have found it in his quest.” She looked momentarily amused, but her tone swiftly returned to sobriety. “It is a very dangerous being, and you should forget that it is here.

Agnella swallowed and nodded. She’d been so caught up in the apparent fulfillment of her wishes, she’d convinced herself that everything was good here. That was a mistake she was unlikely to make again.

Giovanna looked at her for a moment longer. Evidently, she was satisfied by what she saw, as a moment later they were continuing the tour as if nothing had happened.

They went through a few more rooms of the collection, then reached a room that was mostly open, save for the desk at one of the walls. “This is the desk where you will spend most of your working hours,” Giovanna said. “I can advise you as to your duties later. For now, though, I suspect you’re rather worn out from your travels. Let me show you the living quarters.”

They went through a door, and Agnella found herself in a dining hall as large as the one at her father’s palazzo. Connected to it was a kitchen, and past that was a hallway with a number of closed doors. “The women’s space is over here,” Giovanna said. “Though I believe we will be the only occupants tonight. Well, here is a room for you. Will it suffice?”

The room she indicated was small, containing a bed and nothing else. While the bed was smaller than Agnella was accustomed to, its linens not as fine, it would be hers alone. There were no sisters to share it with, to poke at her or stay up whispering.

The room was colder than Agnella was accustomed to, too. Its walls were bare and there was neither fire nor fireplace to stave off the chill. The floorboards were worn wood that would likely freeze bare feet in the morning.

But Agnella was hardly concerned about the room’s contents. Her attention instead was drawn to the windows. Though she knew this building to be connected to the Library, the outside of which had been in the middle of a field, the windows seemed to look out on a busy street.

Giovanna noticed her staring and laughed. “Yes, the windows look out on Florence. No, I know not how, though it is hardly the strangest thing in this building. I recommend you put it out of your mind and get some rest. Tomorrow, you will begin attending to your duties as a clerk. Good night!”

She walked just down the hall to another room, presumably the one she’d be sleeping in. Agnella stared at the window for a moment longer, then shook her head forcefully. As fantastic as this Library was, she had no excuse for abandoning her manners in this fashion. She would have to thank Giovanna properly tomorrow.

But now that she was alone, she was forcibly reminded of her exhaustion. She shed her gown and laid down on the bed. Within minutes, she was asleep.

The next morning, she was awoken by a knock at the door. Giovanna had returned as promised to teach her about her duties. They stopped in the kitchen to lay claim to some bread and ale, then returned to the main chamber of the Library. Agnella ate as Giovanna explained her tasks, which were simple enough. She was to serve as a clerk, recording new objects as they were brought in and otherwise facilitating the work of those who came here to study.

In practice, Giovanna explained, this primarily involved waiting at the desk for a man to come forward with a request. Until then, she would be permitted to attend to her own studies, as long as they didn’t interfere with her duties. “I see no reason to squander the resources we have been granted, simply because of our sex.” Giovanna crossed her arms. “As long as we can perform our jobs adequately, there is no harm in it.”

Agnella was inclined to agree. Even in a library as large as this, there was little need for two of them. Most of the collection was self-maintaining, and the things that weren’t were often too important to trust to anyone but the Librarian himself. New artifacts would create more work, but they were brought in infrequently at best.

As it stood, though they waited at the desk for most of the day, they were only called upon thrice. To pass the time between assignments, Agnella asked questions. She learned that Giovanna was interested in the theories of Aristotle, though she admitted that his ideas about theology were heretical and absurd. “Nonetheless, his method of scientific inquiry is fascinating.”

Agnella for her part had never considered what topics she was drawn to. She’d read the few books that were available to her, but she’d never been in a position to discriminate by subject. With Giovanna’s coaxing, she eventually confessed an interest in oration and rhetoric. She’d spent enough of her life powerless to know the power of well-chosen words.

Once Giovanna deemed it was late enough, they returned to the kitchen. “We could eat in the hall,” she explained, “but then we’d have to defer to the men. I’d much rather continue this conversation.”

As at breakfast, the food was simple: cheese, bread, and ale. Agnella enjoyed the freedom it represented, but if this was the best food the Library had to offer she felt she’d tire of it quickly. Still, it was a small price to pay.

“So,” Giovanna said, setting down her cup. “Do you feel prepared for the days to come?”

Agnella swallowed, considering it. It was strange to think that but two days ago, she had felt trapped within her mother’s hall. It already felt little more than a dream she’d had, something mildly unpleasant but swiftly forgotten. She would very much like to increase that distance, she thought. And while she’d only had a single day’s instruction, if that day was typical there would be time between tasks to seek Giovanna out and ask any necessary questions.

“I believe so,” she said.

“Excellent. If you approve, then, I believe I will let you attempt to perform your duties alone tomorrow.” Giovanna took another bite of her bread, completely nonchalant despite what she’d said.

Agenlla’s widened. True, she’d said she was ready, but this soon… Nevertheless, she was willing to try it, and said as much.

Giovanna smiled. “Very good. Now, let us talk of something more interesting than work.”

When Agnella retired that night, rather than go to sleep immediately she lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. She knew that she would be able to handle her duties. She was going to prove that she deserved to be here. It would be fine.

She knew it wasn’t good rhetoric, but she kept repeating these phrases to herself until she could believe them.

Giovanna woke her again the next morning, and again they claimed a small breakfast before going to the library. Giovanna took the time to remind Agnella of the basics of her job, pointing out where to file requests for books and where to find paper with which to take notes. Then she left, wishing Agnella good luck.

For the first hour, Agnella sat rigidly at the desk, waiting for someone to accuse her of failing to perform her duties. She began to relax in the second hour. By the time she’d been waiting for two and a half hours, she was beginning to suspect her presence was entirely meaningless, at least for the day. She stood up, deciding to do a little studying of her own. If she could locate a collection of speeches or something, she could easily do some reading while waiting at the desk. And with so many books around, there had to be speeches, right? Really, she suspected the Library would have anything she wanted, just because it seemed to have every book in the world.

She decided somewhat arbitrarily to look for Roman texts, as much because she had the ability as anything else. Besides, she hadn’t really gotten much opportunity to practice her Latin outside of church services. She would appreciate the chance to read something new. “Now, where would books on the Romans be…” 

She wandered through the shelves. Every now and then, she pulled down a book to revel in the thrill of having access to so many of them. Admittedly, her excitement was slightly dimmed when she opened on to reveal a foreign alphabet. “I should perhaps have expected that,” she muttered. “No matter; I will continue my quest elsewhere.”

“I do so love a good quest,” said a voice from behind her.

She whirled around, preparing an apology for abandoning her station, but found no one. Still, given her current location, there could easily be a being present that she couldn’t see. “Hail,” she said uncertainly.

“Hail, my good lady,” the voice said good-naturedly. Agnella looked around, but was unable to discern from whence it came. A terrible idea was beginning to come to her. She did her best to ignore it.

“Do you perchance know where books about antiquity would be kept?” She kept her voice level and her eyes on the door, the one she’d been ignoring to the best of her ability.

“Not for certain, but I may be able to assist you.” And yes, the voice was unmistakably coming from behind the door.

She felt a spike of horror. She valiantly kept herself from screaming, but couldn’t avoid staggering back a few paces. “At what cost?” she asked, voice shaking. “My very soul?” She crossed herself for good measure.

There was a chuckle, seemingly normal and all the more ominous for it. “What use would I have for your soul? No, I simply desire some distraction. There isn’t much to do in this prison.”

Agnella looked around the room wildly. The sensible thing, she knew, would be to leave immediately. She could accept any reprimands for leaving her post, but her soul was a far more delicate thing. On the other hand, she couldn’t see what harm the demon could cause if it was truly trapped. And she had faith in the Library’s protections, based on what she’d heard about them.

She crept closer to the door. “I won’t be indebted to you in any way? I shan’t release you, nor will I plead your case to others. For that matter, you won’t mention this to any of my comrades.”

There was a sigh. “Yes, yes. Do you make such demands of anyone who tries to help you?”

She crossed her arms, doing her best to sound tough and in control. “Only the demons.”

“Honestly, are they still calling me a demon? What a patently absurd concept. I’ve already recited every prayer I know for them.”

Agnella wasn’t sure how reassuring she found that statement. Even if it wasn’t lying, a powerful enough demon could easily find a way to fool people into thinking it was praying, or so she assumed. Still, as long as it was trapped, that shouldn’t matter. “The books on antiquity,” she said curtly. She wanted to limit this interaction as much as possible.

“And this was such a stimulating conversation, too. Very well. I believe I’ve heard scholar discussing the Romans pass through this room to the left. My left, as I face the door.”

“Very well,” Agnella said. Then, because she’d had politeness drilled into her from a young age, “Thank you.”

“I am touched that you would deign to thank a lowly demon such as myself,” the voice said, dripping with irony. “I shall await your return eagerly. From right here, seeing as I can’t leave.”

Agnella wasn’t sure how to respond to that, so she just walked away. He could continue talking to himself if he liked. She on the other hand needed to located and retrieve a book so she could go back to her desk.

The directions had been vague, but by periodically checking the shelves she was able to locate the antiquity section with only mild difficulty. As she walked, she passed a number of artifacts strewn about the shelves. She kept her distance as best she could. As fascinating as it would be to examine an original centurion helmet, she’d learned during her tour that the chances of it somehow cursing her were too high for comfort.

When she finally arrived, she found herself staring at the shelves blankly. There were so many books, and she hadn’t the faintest idea where to begin. She ended up grabbing a collection of speeches more or less at random. She’d just have to hope it wasn’t an original copy.

She hurried back to her desk. She passed the door again on her way back, but refused to acknowledge it. She saw no reason to further risk her position or her soul.

When she got back, she sat down, arranging herself carefully so she’d be able to see anyone who came along while she was reading. It would be a shame to be taken by surprise on her first day.

Half an hour later, she hadn’t been disturbed, but neither had she made it past the first page of her book. She wanted to blame it on the unfamiliarity of the situation or how rarely she got to read new books, but she preferred not to lie to herself. There were enough people willing to lie her as it was.

She pushed away from the desk and walked back to the room with the door, rationalizing all the while. She was careful, and as long as she kept in mind what she was speaking to she could avoid making any grave mistakes. She would of course confess her sin later, though possibly in oblique terms. She didn’t want to risk being denounced as a witch. Giovanna had said the Library was safe, but Agnella didn’t want to test the limits of that safety.

Satisfied with her justifications, she took a breath and raised her voice. “Demon. You claim to be a Knight of the Round Table, yes?”

“I claim nothing. I am Galahad, and that is the truth.”

Agnella waved a hand dismissively. “Well, Sir Galahad. Would you by any chance have known anything about the Romans before being lifted bodily to heaven?”

“As flattering as that story is, I have no idea how it started.” The voice sounded annoyed, perhaps by how easily its lies were being revealed. “Very well, let us discuss the Romans. For one, from whence do you believe His Majesty came?”

“Oh!” Agnella had never had cause to consider it, but now that she thought about it, it made sense. The paragon of nobility could hardly have come from a group of island savages. Of course he was from civilized society.

The demon kept talking about its supposed adventures with the Knights of Camelot, Agnella occasionally prompting it with questions. None of its information could be trusted, at least not without a corroborating source, but the story it wove was compelling. Agnella found herself wanting to believe what it said.

They were still conversing when she heard a voice calling at her desk. “Excuse me,” she said hurriedly, interrupting an anecdote about a giant. “I’m afraid I must take my leave. Thank you for indulging my curiosity.”

As it turned out, she was being summoned by one of the main Library staff to locate some books to aid his research. He said that he would be back the next day to pick them up, so Agnella wrote down the titles to ask Giovanna about later. After that, she decided to stay at the desk. She didn’t want to be caught off guard twice in one day.

She didn’t bother picking up the book again. Her mind kept wandering back to her conversation with the demon. Even knowing what it was, she’d almost been convinced by its story. She supposed it had an advantage, as there was little she could do to disprove its story short of stumbling upon a book that just happened to contain contradictory information.

But then, it had also seemed eager to prove its claims, as when she challenged it on having ridden with King Arthur. And as ridiculous as that was, it gave Agnella an opening.

Not that she would use it, mind you. She knew better than to toy with a demon. But if, for some reason, she found herself interacting with it again, she would have the overhand.

Her thoughts kept running in this vein until Giovanna returned. “Were you very busy?” Giovanna asked. “I enjoyed having the day to myself, but if you would like assistance I would happily provide it.”

“No,” Agnella said. “Just a single request.” She carefully didn’t mention the matter of the demon. As kind as Giovanna had been thus far, there was no point in trying their friendship.

Giovanna looked at the titles Agnella had noted, then nodded. “I rather expected as much. In truth, I don’t know why the Library even summoned you.” She stood up and began walking, and Agnella fell in behind her.

“It’s not that I’m not glad for your presence,” Giovanna continued, deftly weaving through the shelves. “But there is barely enough work to justify my employment, let alone another’s.”

Agnella hummed noncommittally. She wasn’t overly concerned with why she was there, and some irrational part of her mind told her that questioning it would cause it to come crashing down around her.

They gathered the books in companionable silence, Giovanna occasionally pointing out interesting objects from the collection. Agnella had just retrieved the last book when a new thought occurred to her. “Is there a list of the artifacts which are kept in the Library?”

“Of course,” Giovanna said, turning to look at her. “Didn’t I show it to you? You may be asked to update it at some point.”

Agnella shook her head. “I don’t believe so.”

“Well. I suppose I ought to show you that before we leave for the day.” Giovanna took off again briskly, and Agnella scrambled to follow.

After dropping the books off at the desk, they re-entered the maze of shelves. “For some reason, the catalog is hidden away in the back of the Library,” Giovanna explained. “It’s supposedly a precautionary measure, but in practice it’s just a nuisance.”

The catalog itself was unimpressive, simply a book containing a list of artifacts, where they came from, where they were stored, and their apparent functions. Agnella flipped through it idly. She was fascinating by the range of objects, both by location of origin and by function.

“That’s really it,” Giovanna said. “I don’t expect you’ll have to use it often, but you ought to be aware of its existence.”

“That’s fair,” Agnella said.

They looked at the catalog for a moment longer before Giovanna turned on her heels and left. Agnella followed, for lack of anything better to do.

They took supper together again, conversing about anything that crossed Giovanna’s mind. Agnella was perfectly content to follow the flow of the conversation. She was not a very interesting person, she feared, though hopefully time at the Library would change that.

It was still difficult for her to wrap her mind around the fact that she would be at the Library for the foreseeable future, or even that something as grand as the Library existed at all. Her thoughts went in circles all that evening, until at last she was able to get to sleep.

For all her worries, she quickly fell into a rhythm. She and Giovanna traded off days of working at the desk, freeing the other to do as she saw fit. Agnella spent most of her free dayswandering through the shelves, trying to get a feel for the building, and carefully avoiding the door. She wasn’t going to meddle with it again. Besides, Giovanna would have been able to hear her if she tried.

However, as she began to relax and attempt to focus on her own studies, a new problem emerged. If she wanted to truly learn how to convince others, she would need to practice holding dialogues and debates. Giovanna didn’t seem very interested, focused as she was on natural sciences. Besides, Agnella didn’t want to risk offending a superior. Seeing as she was the lowest ranking person at the Library, this was something of a dilemma.

One particularly slow day of working the desk, a horrible thought struck her. There was one being she knew didn’t outrank her, and it would probably welcome the distraction.

She told herself it was a mistake, but now that she’d acknowledged the idea her mind was running with it. She had proven that interacting with it was safe, as long as she was careful. And while using a demon to practice one’s negotiation skills was almost certainly a sin of some sort, it shouldn’t be a major one. She would be able to atone later. And it was a particularly affable demon.

She timed it carefully. She had to go during one of her shifts so as not to alert Giovanna to her plan. And she had to pay enough attention to her surroundings to hurry back to the desk before someone came looking for her. And even so, she didn’t want to spend too much time away from her post. It was both unnecessarily risky and ill-mannered.

She tested the waters carefully. She came up with a topic ahead of time, something strictly academic so the demon couldn’t learn her true feelings on an important matter and use them against her. And she paid careful attention to the time, so as to limit its influence. It was difficult to know exactly how long it had been when she was inside all day, but she did her best.

The conversation went well enough, but it was clear neither party was particularly invested. She was primarily parroting others’ arguments, and he had been imprisoned for long enough that many of her references were lost on him. It wasn’t the sort of learning experience she’d been hoping for, to say the least. Besides, she was interested in the practical applications of diplomacy. As interesting as discussing the implications of Empedocles’ four element model of the universe was, it was unlikely to help her influence people.

She gave herself a week to think, to ensure that she wasn’t opening herself to demonic influence. She spent the whole time looking forward to their next conversation. This time, she decided to choose a slightly more personal subject: the importance of educating women. She expected that this would give her an opportunity to become mad at it, and thus to stop this ridiculous plan to converse with it.

As it turned out, while their conversation was enlightening, it was hardly a debate. The demon claimed to be in favor of educating women, if only for practical reasons. “If all the men are away fighting, it would be silly to have to have things grind to a halt for lack of labor.”

Once again, Agnella came away glad for the conversation but with no more debate experience than before.

This continued for several weeks, as she struggled to find a topic that was neither too personal nor too academic, but they would still have differing opinions on. Every now and then, she’d remind herself that it was a demon, but that began to matter to her less and less. It hadn’t done anything evil in her presence, and it was an excellent conversationalist and confidant. Its views on magical artifacts had made her far more comfortable working in the Library, even. “They’re just tools like any other,” it had explained. “A mundane sword will kill you just as thoroughly as a magical one.”

She continued to talk to Giovanna, and thoroughly enjoyed their conversations as well. And she did her job well, and occasionally spoke to some of the other Library workers. But still, as each week drew to a close she found herself eagerly awaiting her next opportunity to speak with the demon.

At last, she decided to do something rash. She was fairly sure she was making a terrible mistake, but she did enjoy coming up with a ridiculous plan. There was a certain thrill to illicit behavior.

She told herself that she knew what she was doing. If she was right, this could be a major breakthrough for the Library and its methods of handling artifacts. And if she was wrong, well, she was almost certainly condemning herself to an eternity of suffering and pain. But she tried to avoid thinking about that part. This was going to work, she was sure of it.

She told herself this as she consulted the catalog, looking for an artifact that would suit her purposes. She finally settled on something called the Odin Stone. It seemed only too appropriate that her deal with a demon would be sealed by a pagan god. She was committing every possible blasphemy, it seemed. She could only hope she finished her penance before dying of old age. She’d obtained a flask of holy water from the nearby church, but she doubted that would do much to help her if she were to die before confessing.

She also located something referred to as the raskovnik. Somehow, she suspected the door wouldn’t be left unlocked, and she would feel foolish if she promised something she couldn’t do. She would also feel foolish attempting to open a door with an herb, but she could accept that as long as it worked.

The Odin Stone itself was rather larger than she’d expected. It was almost too heavy to carry, but she managed to lug it to the door without attracting unwanted attention. She splashed it with holy water, then applied some to herself for good measure. Then, as casually as she could, she addressed the door. “Hail, demon.”

“Yes, yes, hail. What stimulating topic of discussion have you prepared today?”

“I was interested in hearing you convince me to let you out.” She crossed herself, trying to calm her racing heartbeat.

There was a long pause. “This seems unnecessarily cruel,” the voice finally said. “Why would you have me consider the prospect of freedom, only to deny me it once more?”

“Because.” She took a breath, willing herself to sound composed and in control. “Depending on what you offer, I may not deny you it.”

The response came much more quickly this time. “Offer? I’m afraid my skills with the sword are not what they once were. I’m sure the Library can find a much more capable Guardian.”

Agnella mentally noted that she should look into the matter of what a “Guardian” was at some point. Mentioning her confusion now seemed likely to undermine her negotiating position, though. “I had other things in mind, actually,” she said instead. “If you are who you claim, you seem likely to have any number of useful skills, not to mention the knowledge you apparently possess. I want you to swear to use that in service of the Library.”

There was another pause, during which a dozen worst-case scenarios flashed through Agnella’s mind. “I have some conditions of my own,” the voice said.

“Are you really in a position to argue?” she asked. It came out haughtier than she intended, but it was easier to deal with pride than with fear.

“Well, it depends. Will the interests of the Library include, say, the slaughter of innocents?”

“Of course not!” She reached for her holy water, abruptly reminded that she was in fact conversing with a demon.

But all it said was, “Good. I want you to swear to that.”

Her hand slowly returned to her side. There had to be something she was missing, some way to twist her words to suit its nefarious purposes. “Unless the death of innocents is necessary to preserve a greater number of lives or amount of knowledge.”

“Very well. Have you any other terms?”

“You will swear to act in the best interests of the Library and its staff.” She placed her hand through the hole of the Odin Stone so it touched the door. “You will swear this on the Odin Stone, that I know you cannot break your word.”

“This seems rather pagan, but if you insist.” It took a deep breath. “I swear on this stone to serve the Library and protect its interests, so long as these interests do not conflict with basic morality. In exchange, I expect to be released from this prison.”

Agnella squinted at the door. “Basic morality? That seems rather vague.”

There was a deep sigh. “Basic Christian morality. The Ten Commandments and such. Have you any more flaws to pick at?”

She ran through its words once again, but couldn’t find anything else. She would just have to hope that its oath to serve would include orders set forth by future Librarians when they inevitably encountered problems.

“I swear to free you so long as you uphold the terms of your oath,” she said. “By God’s will, may it be done.”

She wasn’t sure if invoking the Almighty would help when using a pagan artifact, but it certainly couldn’t hurt. If she were killed horribly for this, at least she would have attempted to reinstate herself in God’s good graces.

Of course, now that she’d done that she actually had to open the door. She took a deep breath, straightening up from where she’d been pressed awkwardly against the door. She drew on every lesson on proper noble bearing her mother had inflicted upon her, hoping she looked less foolish than she felt.

Holy water in hand, she opened the door.

The room behind it was pitch black, its dimensions impossible to discern. A figure stepped out, its hair and nails long and its body filthy. It was dressed in rags, but despite that, it seemed remarkably human. She splashed it with holy water, just in case. It glanced at its wet arm detachedly. “That hardly seems necessary.”

He looked around the room, taking in the shelves with clear astonishment. “I must say, this building is much nicer than I would have guessed from the state of my cell.” He turned back to it, noticing the sigil drawn on the door. “Ah. I appreciate the attempt, but you’ve got the wrong man. That was the symbol of Sir Gawain, not myself.”

Agnella stared, entirely unsure how to respond. She’d been so focused on figuring out how to explain herself to Giovanna, she’d somehow failed to consider this part.

The figure seemed to notice her confusion. He paused in his observations and bowed, though the effect was slightly spoiled by his current state. “You have my thanks for releasing me,” he said. He looked down at himself. “Um. You wouldn’t happen to have any clothing on hand, would you?”

Agnella shook her head, then found her voice. “No, but I can take you to the living quarters. There may be something there.”

“Then by all means, lead the way.”

She walked out of the room, not bothering to make sure she was being followed. It’s not like he had anything else to do, and if she didn’t look she could pretend everything was still normal. Somehow, she suspected her impulsive decision would have an impact on the library for decades to come, but that was a problem for later. For now, she would try to get through the day without getting dismissed.

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from Arsonist's Lullabye by Hozier, the next lyrics of which are _Don't you ever tame your demons/Always keep them on a leash_ , which just felt too appropriate.


End file.
